John Kasich Has a Plan

The Kasich camp takes offense to the idea that his presence in the race at this point, is somehow only to act as a spoiler. He won his home state of Ohio, and seems poised to challenge Trump for Pennsylvania, although he’s no sure winner.

John Kasich’s chief strategist, John Weaver, insists that there has been contact made with the Cruz campaign and the mutually agreed upon plan of action was for Kasich to lay low in states like Arizona and Utah, giving Cruz the edge, while Cruz was to back off in states like Pennsylvania and New York. Weaver complains, however, that the Cruz camp has reneged on any strategic deals made, while Kasich has followed through.

“Only action to date has been unilateral by us re: AZ (which they knew in advance). Even Mitt has urged Cruz to work with us! To no avail,” Weaver lamented. “As usual they want it both ways, appearance of attempt to work together/victim, but no action. To question [John Kasich’s] motivation is underhanded, and opposite of what they say in private.”

The facts are that with only 143 delegates won and only Ohio won outright, Kasich could win every state from here forward, and still not have the requisite amount of delegates (1,237). It would require any unbound delegates to go to him, as well as Marco Rubio’s delegates. With eighteen states left in the primary season, set to vote between April 1 and June 7, it becomes even more unlikely that Kasich will be able to pull it off.

Kasich is angling for a contested convention, in hopes that he will be able to further appeal his case at the convention and take the nomination. That would require that he and Cruz work together to stop Trump from reaching the magic number.

Trump is 498 away from reaching 1,237, while Cruz is within reach, needing only 772 delegates. A contested convention may very well be in the works, but there is no guarantee that it will work out as Kasich hopes.

Time will tell, but for now, Kasich’s convention-or-bust strategy is more of a hindrance than a help to the process.